Machine for heading insulators.



PATBNTED MAY 10, 1904.

T. L. FIRESTONB.

MACHINE FOR HEADING INSULATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Samar won No. 759,429. PATENTBD MAY 10, 1904.

T. L. FIRESTONE.

MACHINE FOR HEADING INSULATORS.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENT OFFICE.

TRUMAN L. FIRESTONE, or AKRON, oHIo.

- M ACHINE FOR HEADING INSULATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 759,429, dated. May 10, 1904.

Application filed March 21, 1903.

T0 at whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRUMAN L. FIREs'roNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Heading Insulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for heading insulator-tubes; and the object is to provide a simple construction of machine for automatically forming the heads upon tubes designed to be used for electrical insulators. With the above object in View the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully de'scribed, particularly pointed out in the claims, and clearly illustrated by' the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, avertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 ofthe same figure; Fig. t, a vertical transverse sectional view on line 4: 4 of said Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the operating cam-wheel, and Fig. 6 a detail view of the operative con-- nection between the two operating-shafts of the carrier-actuating mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to said drawings, 1 designates the table or bed, intermediately of the ends of which the trans.-.

versely-extending supports 2 are arranged, in which the wheels 4: are mounted. Passing.

around said wheels 4: is a carrier-chain 5, provided with pockets or receptacles 6 to receive the tubes. The feed for the carrier consists of the following mechanism: Mounted in supports 7 at one end of the table is a driving-shaft 8,

which may be driven by any desired power, having fixed thereon a gear 9, which meshes with a larger gear 10, carried by a shaft 11, mounted in suitable supports 12, both of said shafts extending transversely of the bed or table of the machine. Upon said shaft 11 is a cam wheel 13, provided with a cam 14, adapted to actuate a rock-shaft 15, mounted in suitable supports 16 by contact with a latpoint in front of the die.

Serial No. 148,869. (No model.).

as illustrated in' Fig. 4E. Said. link 23at its,

opposite end is pivotally attached to an actuating-pawl 24:, having an engaging portion 25, adapted to engage the pins of the links of the chain and actuate said chain. Attached to a suitable support is a stop-pawl 26, said pawl serving to prevent the carrier when the machine is running at a high rate of speed from carrying the tube beyond the proper This pawl is con' nectedwith-its support by a series of levers 27, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the cam 1a contacts with the arm 1 7 shaft15-is parti'ally rotated, which movement is communi catedto shaft 21, causing the feed-pawl 24: to actuate thecarrier to bring one of the tubes carried thereby in proper position'to be headed by the dies, wh-i'ch will be hereinafter fully described; The feed mechanism is returned 1 to its normal position'after advancing the carrier by a coiled spring 28.

.Heaolz'ng mechanism.-Mounted to one side of the carrier is the stationary die 29, having a central opening ofproper size to receive the- .tube and permit the formation of the head thereon and formed with a steam-chamber 30,-

. surrounding said opening,and provided with the steam-inlet pipe 31 and outlet-pipe 32. Mounted to slide in supports 33; disposed on the opposite side of the carrier, is a plunger 34., connected by a pitman 35 with a crank-' disk 36 on shaft 11, said plunger carrying the movable die 37 which as the plunger is reciprocated moves transversely across the car rier through the pockets or receptacles thereof. The tubes are one by one, as the carrier is actuated, forced into the stationary die and headed by the movable plunger and die car ried thereby.

Ejecting mechanism. For ejecting the tubes from the stationary die after the heads have been formed thereon the followingmechanism is provided: Mounted in rear of the stationary die is a support 38, carrying a guide-rod 39, which is disposed longitudinally of the die and is positioned in the central opening thereof, extending from end to end of the die. Sliding in said support 38 and upon rod 39 is a sleeve or tube 40, having at one end a cross-head 41, carrying two longitudinallyextending rods 42, disposed parallel with the sleeve and extending loosely through a cross head or bar 43, carried by the plunger 34, said rods being provided with nuts 44 on the ends thereof which project through the cross-head of the plunger. The plunger in its movement to and from the stationary die slides on said rods, and when it has moved a suflicient distance on its rearward movement from the stationary die to bring the cross-head thereof in contactwith nuts 44, which constitute'stops, the independent movement of the plunger relative to the rods is checked and said rods are moved with the plunger, moving the sleeve or tube 40 through the stationary die and forcing the headed insulator-tube therefrom upon the carrier. Upon the forward movement of the plunger to head another tube said sliding sleeve is returned to its normal position by a spring 45, connected with the cross-head 41 and with a suitable support independent thereof, a stop or bufier 46 being providedto check said movement of the sleeve in a reverse movement to its movement in ejecting the headed tube. The movable die is provided with a central opening to re ceive the end of the guide-rod 39, which rod acts as a stop to limit the forward movement of the die.

The stationary die is made of either brass or bronze, as the material of which the tubes are formed does not adhere to these metals as it does to other metals, and by heating this die, as set forth, the amount of lubricant necessary to be used is materially decreased, as in the case of a die which is not heated it is necessary to use a considerable quantity of oil, the result being a deterioration of the glaze upon the tubes, thus causing a rough and uneven surface when the insulator-tubes are burned.

Cmw'er-elewtz'ng meohrmism-The movable die being larger than the tube to be headed, it is necessary to provide some means for raising the carrier with the tube, so that said tube can be engaged and centered by the die, and to accomplish this the following mechanism is provided: Pivoted intermediately of its ends beneath the upper portion of the carrier is a lever 47, having a laterallyextending stud 48 at one end, which is engaged by a crank-arm 49 on the end of a rockshaft 50, mounted in suitable supports 51 upon the table or bed and extending longitudinally thereof, sa-id shaft at its opposite end being provided with a crank-arm 52, disposed in the path of acam-53-on cam-wheel 13. When said cam comes in contact with the arm 52, the shaft is rocked and the lower end of lever 47 depressed, the opposite end thereof being raised, elevating the pocket of the carrier containing the tube to be headed, bringing said tube in position to be centered by the movable die. As soon as one end of the tube is received in the opening of the movable die and the other end is started into the stationary die the lever 47 is released and returned to its normal position, this return movement being efi ected by a spring 54, thus permitting that section of the carrier which has been elevated to drop to its normal position and the movable die to pass over the same.

From the above description it is believed the operation of the machine will be fully un derstood, it being necessary to simply'state that the prepared tubes of proper length are placed upon the carrier and fed thereby one by one to the proper position to be movedinto the stationary die by the movable die and headed and then ejected by the movable sleeve. The position of the stop 'or buffer 46 determines the length of the tubes, as the po sition of the sleeve 40, against which the rear end of the insulator-tube abuts when moved into the stationary die, is in turn fixed by the position of the stop.

The lower portion of the carrier is supported and prevented from sagging by a plate or support 56 positioned therebeneath, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier formed with transversely-extending pockets to receive the tubes, means for imparting motion to said carrier to bring said pockets containing the tubes successively in operative position relative to the stationary die, a movable die adapted to move said tubes from the pockets of the carrier into the stationary die and form the head thereon, and means for reciprocating said movable die.

2. In amachine for heading insulator-tubes,

' a stationary die, a carrier for the tubes, means for imparting motion to the carrier to bring the tubes successively in operative position relative to the stationary die, a movable die adapted to move said tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and form the head thereon, means for actuating said movable die, and ejecting means for ejecting the headed tubes from the stationary die operated by the movable die.

3. In a machine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier adapted to convey the tubes to and from the stationary die, means for actuating the carrier, a movable die for moving said tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and forming the head thereon,

upon the carrier. I

4. In a machine for heading insulator-tubes,

a stationary die, a carrier for conveying the tubes to the. stationary die, operating means for said carrier, a movable die for moving said tubes from the carrier intothe stationary die and forming the head thereon, means for actuating the movable die,wan ejecting device for removing the headed tubes from the stationary die, and an operative connection between the ejecting device and the movable die whereby said movable die upon its return movement actuatesthe ejecting device to eject the headed tube.

5. In amachine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, operating means for said carrier, a movable die for moving said tubes from the carrier into the stationary die,

and forming the head thereon, means for actuating the movable die, an ejecting device operated by the movable die for ejecting the headed tubes from the stationary die, and means for restoring the ejecting device after it has been operated to eject the tube.

6. In a machine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, operating means for said carrier, an ejecting device for ejecting the headed tubes from the stationary die, a reciprocating die for moving the tubes into the stationary dieand forming the headthereon having a sliding connection with said ejecting device, means for actuating the reciprocating die, and means for preventing independent movement of the reciprocating die and ejecting device upon the return movement of the former.

7 In amachine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, operating means for the carrier, an ejecting device movable longitudinally for ejecting the headed tubes from the stationary die having a longitudinally-extending arm, a reciprocating die for moving the tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and forming the head thereon having a sliding connection with said arm, a stop for limiting the independent rearward movement of said die on said arm, and means for actuating the reciprocating die.

8. In a machine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, operating means for the carrier, an ejecting device comprising a member movable in said stationary die, a cross-head on said member, parallel longitudinally-extending arms carried by said crosshead, a restoring-spring connected with said cross-head, a reciprocating die for moving said tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and forming the head thereon, a cross-head carried by said die sliding on said arms of the ejecting device, stops on said arms rearward of the cross-head of the die, and means for actuating the reciprocating die.

9. In amachine for heading insulator-tubes, a stationary die, a transversely-arranged carrier on the entrance side of the stationary die adapted tov convey the tubes to position to enter said die, means for actuating said carrier, an ejecting device arranged on the opposite side of the die and movable therethrough for ejecting the headed tubes, means for actuating said ejecting device, a movable die arranged to reciprocate across said carrier for moving the tubes therefrom into the stationary die and forming the head thereon, and

- means for actuating the movable die.

10.-In a machlne for heading insulatortubes, a-stationary die, an endless carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, a pivoted lever arranged beneath the upper portion of the carrier for elevating that portion thereofcarrying the tube to be operated on,

means for operating the carrier, means for op- I crating the lever, aemovable die for moving said tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and forming the head thereon, and means for actuating the movable die.

11, In a machine for heading insulatortubes, a stationary die an endless flexible carrier for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, an intermediately-pivoted lever arranged beneath the upper portion of the carrier for elevating that portion thereof carrying the tube to be operated on having a laterally-extending stud in its lower end, a rock-shaft.

having an arm at one end engaging said stud and a crank-arm at its opposite end, a camdisk for actuating said crank-arm,,means for operating the cam-disk, a movable die for moving the tubes from the carrier into the stationary die and forming the head thereon, and means for actuating the movable die.

12. In a machine for heading insulatortubes, a stationary die, a carrier-chain for conveying the tubes to the stationary die, a pawl engaging the links of the chain for feeding the carrier, a rock-shaft having a crank-arm,

at each end, a cam-disk for actuating the crank-v arm at the rear end of the shaft, means for actuating the cam-disk, a shaft mounted adja- &

an ejector for ejecting the headed tubes and depositing the same upon the carrier, means for actuating the carrier to bring the tubes successively in operative position arranged to permit the carrier to remain stationary during the operation of the movable die in removing the tube therefrom and the operation of the ejector in depositing the headed tube thereon, and operating means for the ejector and movable die.

15. In a machine for heading insulatortubes, a stationary die to receive the tubes, a carrier adapted to convey the tubes to said die,

means for actuating said carrier, a movable die adapted to move said tubes into the stationary die to form the head upon the tubes, means for actuating said movable die, and ejecting means actuated by the movable die for returning the tube to the carrier after it has been headed.

16. In a machine for heading insulatortubes, a stationary die to receive the tubes, a carrier adapted to convey the tubes to said die, means for actuating the carrier, a movable die adapted to engage said tubes and move the said tubes into the stationary die to form the head thereon, means for actuating said movable die, and means for raising the carrier with the tube to be acted upon to bring said tube in position to be engaged by the movable die.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TRUMAN L. FIRESTO-NE. 

